This invention relates to a game machine in which a movable object simulating a racing car, racing horse and the like is allowed to run along a specified race track.
There have been known various game machines in which a movable object (moving means) simulating a racing car or horse is allowed to run on a specified race track. One of such game machines is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1-94884. The game machine in this publication is such that a plurality of movable objects simulating a horse run, while freely run over a specified race track. Game players enjoy the game by predicting the ranking of horses and betting a number of tokens on the horse he predicts to be the winner. In this game machine, the respective horses can run while freely changing their routes in the race track. However, there is another type of game machine in which movable objects run along their respective predetermined routes on a race track.
In the aforementioned conventional type of game machine in which movable objects simulating a horse run along the predetermined race tracks, the variation of game which players can enjoy is limited and thus becomes monotonous, because the movement of the movable object is limited (at least in one direction, either widthwise directions or forward and backward) directions owing to the fact that the movable object can move on the fixed predetermined race track. Accordingly, the game machine does not, in a strict sense, simulate an actual car race or horse race, resulting in a difficulty in keeping the players amused for a longer period.
To keep the players amused with the game machine for a longer period, there is an idea of changing the course design (track layout) of the conventional game machine periodically (e.g., every several months). However, to change the track layout, it is required to change the overall specifications of an internal device of the game machine, not to mention change of the design of a base for the game machine itself. Accordingly, this idea results in a great increase of cost and time and is not feasible.